Work non-nursing related job while in school?

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HI,

I work at an assisted living facility on an Alzheimer and Dementia floor and in a month it'll be a year that I've worked there. I'm in nursing school right now. I have a summer internship lined up for nursing at a hospital which I still want to do.

I"ve worked so many weekend nights and my thought is to try a new job, even a job that is non-nursing related just to take a break before the rest of my life becomes nursing. Is this a bad idea? I'm doing the assisted living facility and internship to build experience and land a job in the future, but I'm kind of getting burnt out working with Dementia patients especially since we're always understaffed, sometimes 3 cna for 30 residents, no RNs around either, just one med aide! I'd like to try something less stressful while I'm in school and maybe something different just for a change of pace but will this be bad for my resume?

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I would look for a tech position working with other types of patients if you are burnt out with your current patient population. If you are already in the mindset that you need a break before your "whole life becomes nursing," you may want to rethink your career choice. If you haven't even become a nurse and you are burnt out with patient care, you will have a rude awakening ahead of you. But I for sure would not want to get a non nursing job while in school if you have the option to build your resume with a job in healthcare while you finish your degree.

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Specializes in cardiac/PCU.

I had a non-nursing job during all of nursing school. Knowing what I know now, especially with the current job market for new grads in many areas, I advise everyone to try to get a hospital job. I agree with TheMrsRN, maybe find a different area, get into a hospital, and really evaluate what is driving you to want to pursue nursing.

The tech/CNA experience will only enhance your skills, and it is a great opportunity for networking. You will always have challenging days, whether it's having '30 residents to 3 CNAs' or having 3 out of 4 patients that are really critical. (fyi: many units I have been on have the CNA ratio at 8:1-12:1). If you really want to do nursing, and you are really passionate about it, you will learn to take those days in stride. There are just as many touching moments as there are tough ones. Good luck. Stay in the hospital if you can!

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Specializes in Critical Care/Coronary Care Unit,.

I agree with the first poster that you should definitely keep a nursing related job while you're in school. It can only help you in your job search in the future. The job market is tight right now. You may want to try a tech job in a different setting. If you're burnt now, you'll have even more pressure placed on you once you're a nurse. Good luck.

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Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.

I agree with the other posters in that, with a tough economy out there, having a nursing-related job would give you an edge when applying for jobs as a new grad. However, I worked in a shoe store the summer before I graduated. It was low-stress and it was the "break" I needed before finishing school and starting work as an RN.

Who knows? With the current emphasis on "customer service" in health care, working in retail might actually be to your advantage!

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Although I agree your best edge on other applicants when you graduate will be a hospital job, I have to say that I love having a non-healthcare job in nursing school. I want to work peds when I graduate, so I work with a daycare/preschool. That way, I have experience with kids to put on my resume and it gives me time working with kids, which is what I'm passionate about, but it also gives me the break I need so that I don't feel like I'm spending every waking minute of my time at school or in the hospital.

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While I agree with the other posters, I don't think it would be horrible to work in a non medical field. I would recommend staying casual part time at your current employer. I'm also taking pre reqs for RN and I work in a level 1 hospital. After working in the same department for 6 years I really wanted a change to a different specialty within my hospital. I've been in the new department for a month now and I feel totally rejuvinated. I was so burnt out in the old department I would dread coming to work even though I enjoyed working with the staff. I do want to keep my foot in the door at this hospital because I would love to have a job there when I graduate as an RN. But I don't think getting a job at Target for example would be that bad. I've also thought of getting part time work in retail. But I am pretty busy so I'm sticking to my hospital. I do however volunteer at a small local farm doing harvesting of vegetables and getting bundles together for shares. It's really fun to be outside and it's something I can do on my own time....or lack there of. Long story short, I don't think it's a bad idea and just because you want to dip your spoon in a different soup does not mean you no longer want to be a nurse or that you wouldn't be a good nurse once you graduate. After all you do have your summer internship to look forward to. Good luck!

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Specializes in Oncology/hematology.

I don't understand this mad rush in the USA to have experience before starting your job--- the best thing an empolyee can wish for is a bright, just out of school grad- that way they can mold you into THEIR kind of nurse- no bad habits learned form previous job...

I work in a non-nursing job: I teach swimming at my local YMCA--- I love it! it's an unbeleivable stress reliever (who thought that a job would do that?), apart from also being able to keep in shape, I gain bucketloads of confidence and instructor experience (teaching a kid to swim is not so different than teaching a patient something). I feel that for my sanity that I need something outside of nursing 24/7.

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Specializes in School Nurse.

i worked in an emergency vet clinic when i went to nursing school. i knew i was unable to handle the sight of blood (almost passed out while have a tour of the lab at a hospital, and again when i had to poke my finger for my h and p lab) so i wanted to start out with animals. i actually got tons of great experience there - i put in iv's, drew blood, ran lab work, took and developed (and the vets showed me how to read) x-rays, got to assist in surgery. and on and on. and because it was an emergency clinic, got to deal with many distraught animal owners. triage, "nursing" assessment (remember one dog got a tennis ball stuck down his throat. was turning a frightening shade of blue - got the vet on that one immediately. dog survived:yeah:).

and eventually my aversion for blood did go away. have 3 kids helped with that, but i still need to psych myself up when i got in to have blood drawn. hate it, but at least say on my feet.

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Specializes in Med/Surg - Internal Medicine.

i would recommend keeping a health care related position while in nursing school. when i started my accelerated bsn program, i worked every weekend 12 hour shifts as a nursing assistant in a snf. somewhere along the second semester of the program i felt that it was a conflict of interest and decided to waitress at a local restaurant. after 2 months of waiting tables, i decided to go back to my nursing assistant position because i missed interacting with the patients. i certainly don't believe there is any harm in continuing your current work, except for the fact that perhaps you may be burnt out with the current population....dementia/alz residents can be very difficult to work with (been there, done that), so kudos to you!!!! :) best wishes on your endeavors. :nurse:

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